Method for treating tubular fabrics

ABSTRACT

A method of continuously treating a tubular fabric through an impregnating solution, then slitting the fabric, opening the slit fabric and drying it.

Sept. 20, 1971 l. ARONOFF METHOD FOR TREATING TUBULAR FABRICS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 8, 1968 INVENTOR Edward I. ARDNDFF ATTORNEY p 1971 E. l. ARONOFF 3,605,226

METHOD FOR TREATING TUBULAR FABRICS Filed July 8. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

a fa 10? 508 a w p f y/4 H /4 INVENTOR Edward I. ARONOFF A TTORNI'I Y United States. Patent (cc US. CI. 2874 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method of continuously treating a tubular fabric through an impregnating solution, then slitting the fabric, opening the slit fabric and drying it.

The present invention relates to a method for treating tubular fabrics and particularly to a method of continuously treating tubular knitted fabrics.

A process, in accordance with the present invention, for treating tubular fabrics, comprises the steps of advancing the tubular fabric in a fiat condition in a treating solution while maintaining the fabric completely immersed, removing the fabric from the solution, subjecting the fabric to a rolling pressure to remove excess solution therefrom, slitting one fold of the flattened tubular fabric While maintaining it in a laterally tense condition, opening the fabric to a web, and finally drying the opened fabric web.

The apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes the combination of means for feeding the tubular cloth longitudinally and impregnating it into a liquid solution bath; press rollers adjacent the solution bath for wringing the excess solution out of the tubular fabric; a cutter for cutting one fold edge of the fabric; means for maintaining the fabric in a laterally stretched condition while it is being cut; a conveyor for conveying the cut fabric in a relaxed condition from the cutter to an opening frame; means for maintaining the fabric in an opened condition as it comes off the opening frame; a single drum dryer for drying the opened fabric; and means for conveying the fabric from the opening frame to the dryer drum.

Furthermore, as described in applicants copending United States application Ser. No. 695,605, filed January 1968, the cutter can be mounted on a telescopic table which can be adjusted to the width of the tubular fabric being treated, and a wire frame member which is mounted on the same side as the cutter extends laterally across the table in a cantilever manner to abut the other fold edge of the fabric from the inside so as to maintain the uniform width of the fabric while it is being cut.

Having thus generally described the invention, it will now be referred to in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of part of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the remainder of the apparatus.

Referring now to the drawings, the tubular fabric which is generally referred to by the numeral 8 is driven in the direction of the arrows 9. The apparatus includes four main stations, namely: the impregnating solution reservoir 10, the fabric cutting station 12, the opening station 14 and finally the dryer 16.

The tubular fabric can be taken from a truck in a conventional manner or the tubular fabric can be delivered from a distending device in combination with a steam box which is not shown. Nevertheless, the tubular 3,605,226 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 fabric 8 here is driven by the driven rollers 24 into the impregnating solution tank or reservoir 10. The solution is, for example, a resin solution calculated to import dimensional stability and other desirable characteristics to the fabric. A pair of rollers 26 and 28 are journalled within the reservoir 10 so as to prevent the tubular fabric 8 from floating to the surface of the solution. As the tubular fabric 8 comes out of the reservoir 10, it is pressed between pressing rollers 30- which squeeze the major part of the solution out of the tubular fabric 8.

The tubular fabric then travels on toa smooth table 32. The table 32 is telescopic and includes the sections 32a and 32b. Table section 32b is slightly smaller than 32a and includes similar convergent flanges 33b compared to flanges 33a and is adapted to slide within the larger table portion 32a. The table is adapted to be adjusted laterally so as to compensate for the width of the cloth. One edge of the tubular fabric is normally constant. That is, in the present case, the edge of the fabric opposite the cutting knife is always at the same location sothat when a wider fabirc is being treated, the rotating cutter 34 mounted on the portion of the table 32b is moved laterally outwardly to make up for the new width of the cloth.

The cutter '34 is mounted on the table 32b in the conventional manner and includes a motor and a driven rotary knife 36 which rotates in a horizontal plane in contact with the fold edge of the tubular fabric. A retainer 38 extends within the fabric from the open side and presses the fabric against the knife 36. Furthermore, a wire frame 40 which is looped as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1 is mounted at one end independent of the table 32!) and extends within the cloth to meet the inner side of the fold edge at the fixed lateral margin of the tubular fabric. Of course, the wire frame 40 is cantilevered and extends within the tubular fabric which has just been opened by the cutting knife '36. The wire frame 40 maintains the uniform width of the fabric at this point and also helps to create a slight tension at the other fold edge while the fabric is being cut. This facilitates the cutting thereof.

From the telescopic table the fabric contacts an endless conveyor belt 41 which is mounted about driven rollers 42.

The opened tubular fabric 8 travels to the base of the opening station 14 in a relaxed condition on the conveyor belt 41, wherein the fabric 8 is opened by the inverted pyramid frame 44. Spiral rollers 46 are provided on two sides of the inverted pyramid to move the fabric over the frame 44. A driven roller 50 is provided at the top of the frame which insures the dimensional uniformity of the open web of fabric 8 as it comes off the opening frame 44 and feeds it onto an endless conveyor belt '52 which itself is mounted on the conveyor rollers 54.

The dryer is of the conventional single large drum '56 rather than a plurality of drums. The open fabric 8 is fed directly onto the drum and it is taken off on the other side of the dryer on a take-up roll 58.

-I claim:

1. A continuous method of treating tubular fabrics comprising the steps of advancing a continuous web of tubular fabric in a flattened condition; continuously passing the flattened tubular fabric through an impregnating solution; maintaining the fabric immersed in the solution; applying edge-to-edge pressure to the tubular fabric as it is removed from the impregnating solution so as to remove excess solution from the fabric; advancing the still wet tubular fabric therefrom. and to a slitting zone while maintaining substantially uniform longitudinal and lateral tension on the continuously advancing fabric; slitting the wet tubular fabric at one edge fold formed by the flattened tubular fabric to form separate edges; continuously conveying the wet fabric in a relaxed condition, immediately 3 4 after it has been slit, to a spreading zone; spreading the 8 9,805 8/1906 Sackville 26-63 still Wet folded fabric so that the two separate edges are 2,305,997 12/ 1942 Shields 2655(WC) (UX) spread laterally to form a single open web of still wet 2,826,167 3/1958 Cohn et a1. 118-34 fabric; advancing the Wet open Web of fabric in a relaxed 2,880,114 3/1959 Cohn et a1 26-55(X) condition while maintaining dimensional control of the 5 3,105,283 10/1963 Pernick 2655(WC)(UX) fabric to a drying zone; and continuously drying the 3,253,311 5/1966 Cohn et a1. 26-55(X) fabric. 3,266,460 8/1966 Brook 2655(WC) (X) References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT R. MACKEY, Primary Examiner 8,563 12/1851 Barrows 26-68(XR) 10 US. Cl. X.R. 26,141 11/1859 Bennett 26--68(XR) 463,550 11/1891 Schofield 2663 26 117 118 34 

